1. Field of the invention
The present invention concerns a terminal for connecting an insulated branch conductor to an insulated overhead line conductor.
2. Description of the prior art
Terminals comprising two insulative material half-shells joined together by a clamping screw are known. Each half-shell features two channels facing each other and one of which is adapted to receive the overhead line conductor while the other is adapted to receive the branch conductor. Recessed into each half-shell is a housing adapted to receive a contact bar which extends from one channel to the other and which is provided with teeth projecting into each channel so that when the two half-shells are clamped up by the screw the teeth pierce the insulations of the two conductors and so make the electrical connection.
Branch connection terminals of this kind have a number of disadvantages. The connection obtained in this way is not fluid-tight which is an important long-term disadvantage. Fitting the terminal is not particularly easy, as it is necessary to separate the two half-shells from each other, to fit them to the conductors and to fasten them together with the screw provided for this purpose.
One object of the present invention is to remedy these disadvantages and to provide a terminal which is entirely secure from the fluid-tightness point of view and which is much simpler and more practical to use than known terminals.